Marilyn's Photos - July 15 2025 - Never Retire

 

Never retire.  Bob Dylan is still touring at the age of 84.  That seems astonishing.  He's touring with Willie Nelson, and he's 92.   Paul McCartney is coming to the renovated Hamilton Colliseum.  He's 83 years old.  And the Rolling Stones Mick Jagger is 81 years old.  But they cancelled their UK and European tour for 2025 due to logistical challenges.  They are planning a 2026 tour.  What do I think these aged rock singers have in common?  While some of them never sang well, all of them don't sing well anymore.  I can't imagine listening to a concert of Paul McCartney with the quaver of the very old vocal chords.   Even worse, to my ear is Willie Nelson with a voice that has always been unpleasant.  He supposedly has a "songwriter's voice." That sounds like code for writes better than he sings.  Here's one Quora writer's take on his voice: "Like a wonderful blanket crocheted by your favorite relative.  The one you've had for 30-years. Oh sure, there are some tattered corners, mended holes and faded colors;  but all of these things are why you love it so…soft in all the right places." Another quote:  "Mannered.  He doesn't really sing as much as he "talks tunefull'. Does Bob Dylan have a songwriter's voice?  Here's one contribution to Reddit: "I've literally not met one person that likes Bob Dylan's singing. So is it that weird that I think he's a great singer?"   There is a lot of analysis on Bob Dylan's voice. My observation is that Bob Dylan doesn't sing in the key that the band is playing in.   And here's a joke in that reddit post:   "Dylan and Mick Jagger were arguing about who was a better musician. Dylan posited that Jagger could not have written Mr. Tambourine Man, but Dylan could have written Satisfaction. To which Jagger replied "Yeah, but could you sing it?"

Here's the result of yesterday's watercolour class.

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Nov 12 2024 - Where not to retire in Canada

 

Are immigrants and Americans going to start flooding over the border?  We wonder.  Google searches have trended dramatically:  "leaving the country" and "how to move to ..." - with the search for "how to move to Canada" peaking No 6th.  A survey earlier in the month said 21% of Americans would consider moving.  In that article, Canada was at the top of the list of countries of interest. Currently, though, there's an eerie calm in the press - focused on how much Trump can accomplish.  All the barriers and hurdles are being outlined in great detail. It seems like they are trying to quell the panic.   So the headlines have started creeping in - best and worst places to retire in Canada.  What would be the criteria?  Culture, healthcare, weather, crime, cost of living, taxes, education, job opportunities.  It turns out there are lots of places people don't want to retire to in Canada.  The article says that Vaughan, Ontario is one of these.  It is part of greater Toronto - north of the city centre. It has a colder climate than Toronto and heavy traffic being part of Toronto.  It is packed with large single-family homes that drive up the cost of housing and make for driving congestion. Think more broadly though.  If we were appealing to more wealthy, liberal U.S. citizens looking for a more stable place to live, we'd have lots of choices.  There's an article from an American point of view:  8 reasons you don't want to retire in Canada. Bad climate, cost of living and housing, health care for permanent residents only, complicated taxes for U.S. citizens.  Here's the summary advice: "If you want to retire to a different country, you may want to steer clear of Canada. As always, we suggest that you take the time to visit possible retirement locations in advance. You’re also going to want to work with a tax professional to ensure that you’re aware of the implications of retiring in Canada." It seems like a smorgasbord of choices in other articles. Like the buffet of living options:  Spain, Portugal, Costa Rica, Uruguay, Mexico, New Zealand, Italy, Canada Ireland and France in ranked order.  Pie in the sky thinking for now.

I took this picture of the Bloodgood Japanese Maple tree around the corner. a few years ago.  It was brilliant red against a snow fall mid-November  The tree is a massive size.  so I thought a portrait of it would be nice.  All the background detail - the house, etc had to be painted over in photoshop.   I would like a more interesting background, but haven't figured out the technical details.  There is "white" in the mass of the tree, difficult to deal with.    I think I will continue to "fill in" with red leaves, and then go for a painterly background.

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